>> this is "bbc world news ."erica >> funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation, newman's own foundation, giving all profits to charity and pursuing the common good for over 30 years, and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to know your business. offering specialized solutions and capital to help you meet .our growth objectives

we offer expertise and tailored solutions for small businesses and major solution businesses. what can we do for you? >> and now, "bbc world news america." >> this is "bbc world news america." ,eporting from washington ukraine's new government accuses russia of mounting a military invasion and occupation. president obama says he is deeply concerned. >> the united states will stand with the international community in affirming there will be costs for any military intervention. delays a loanank for uganda, following the passage of an anti-gay. officials in uganda collett lacked male. and hollywood's biggest night is

almost here. soon we will know which stars will be going home with an oscar. welcome to our viewers on public television in america and also around the globe. tonight, tensions are running high in ukraine. the interim government accuses russia of an armed invasion and occupation after unidentified gunmen began patrolling airports in the region of crimea, but the majority of the population is ethnically russian. responding to the report, president obama warned there will be costs for any military intervention in the ukraine. he spoke at the white house a short time ago. >> any violation of ukraine's sovereignty or territorial integrity would be deeply destabilizing, which is not in the interests of ukraine, .ussia, or europe it would represent a profound interference in matters that must be determined by the

ukrainian people. it would be a clear violation of russia's commitment to respect the independence and sovereignty and borders of ukraine and of international law. just days after the world came to russia for the olympic games, condemnationte the of nations around the world, and indeed, the united states will stand with the international community in affirming there will be costs or any military intervention in ukraine. said any's ambassador military movement his country is making is in keeping with moscow's existing agreements with ukraine. >> crimea's main connection to theoutside world today in hands of men with machine guns. they wore no insignia, but their military fatigues were russian designed. there weapons were russian standard issue.

the armed men in green military uniforms have taken over the buildings containing the control crimea's main civilian airport. >> local activists say the troops were there. welcome insm is not ukraine. this is our slogan. >> the extraordinary military movements went on all day. the new government in kiev maintained russian attack helicopters had violated airspace. armored personnel carriers appeared on the road. tf -- kiev said it was an invasion.

many are suspicious of the new government and supported the russian move. >> who else can we turn to? who can defend us? thank goodness the russian fleet is here to defend us. >> this russian naval ship appeared in the interest -- the entrance to the world-famous pollock llama bay, another show of strength our armed forces. >> ukraine has lost control of the seas around crimea and its main airports, but the acting president said he would react carefully. >> i appealed personally to president putin to immediately stop provoking us. from crimea and cooperate by sticking to agreements already signed between us. >> across the border in russia, ousted he replaced,

president viktor yanukovych, appeared in public for the first time since he fled last week. ukraine has asked russia to hand him over as a suspect, but he seemed affiant -- defiant. >> i am eager and ready to fight for the future of ukraine. i was forced to leave, and there were threats to my life and to people close to me. power was taken by nationalists and fascists, who are in the minority in the ukraine. >> these cameras show the moment the regional parliament was stormed yesterday by men with machine guns and rocket propelled grenades. the tv station was also taken today. evis is not yet a war, but ki has not moved to reassert control, and if it does, moscow made it clear today that its troops are waiting.

>> a brief time ago, i spoke with daniel sanford in the crimean city and started by asking how he thought president obama's comments on ukraine .ould be received >> i don't think people in crimea will be particularly , but those that support the russian move will feel fairly confident tonight that their fate is in russian hands. i think russians at the moment to hold all the cards in crimea. there's nothing very much that the ukrainian government in kiev about the situation. they cannot really come charging down the troops because that is almost certain to provoke a conflict. i think at the moment, the russians can sit tight and see what happens next and then into negotiations further down the line. >> how are people where you are responding to the presence of these forces loyal to russia on the street? dangerous tos generalize about these types of things, but there are certainly large numbers of russian

speakers who feel very strong links to russia and were very worried when the new government came to power in kiev supporting these far right activists, and we are very concerned that the far right activists would dissent here. that may have been a false concern, but it was a genuinely felt concern. but there are other groups here who are very supportive of the kiev government. crimean's are also very distrustful. they were thrown out of crimea during the soviet union, but many trickled back during the 1990's. but there are many people here who are very worried about what is going on. but i think the majority are either sitting on the fence or supportive of the russian move. >> viktor yanukovych and that rather lengthy press conference today condemned what he called the bandit two -- bandit coup. what have people been saying about his appearance? >> everyone here has been

focused on the military movement. but to be honest, with such crimeay scenes here in with trucks driving up another road, attack helicopters flying overhead and ships blockading port, viktor yanukovych's comments pretty much went unnoticed. >> in other news now, a court in placing the opposition leader under house arrest for violating travel restrictions. he says these charges are politically motivated. he will no longer be allowed access to a phone on the internet under the ruling. exchange hasrrency filed for bankruptcy protection in japan. it went off-line earlier this week. it now says hundreds of worthnds of bitcoins several hundred million dollars are unaccounted for. crime agencies worldwide have carried out what is believed to be the biggest operation against gangs suspected of tricking

people into investing in worthless stocks and shams. they are known as boiler room scams due to the cramped conditions the fraudsters sometimes work in. street in the center of barcelona, spain's elite serious crime unit targets a scam which has ruined house in the lives and cost victims millions of pounds. this team is working with colleagues from the city of london's financial crimes unit. intelligence has led them to an what theyoffice to believe is a boiler room. this is a fragment of an operation extending across europe and the atlantic. >> there are 300 spanish officers deployed across their country, and there are further arrests taking place in the u.k. , the united states, and romania. the city of london force says it is the biggest deployment they

have ever made. >> boiler room scams are accused of using high-pressure sales techniques to persuade victims to buy into bogus investments. most never see their money again. put into euros i carbon. >> this pensioner from the midlands says he was groomed to part with his savings. >> he said he would get my money for the next best get my money straightaway, and for the next three weeks we were devastated. we were absolutely broke. the city of london forces played a major part in this crackdown. the aim, they say, is to decimate boiler room fraud by arresting what they termed tier one criminals who are living well on the suffering of others. that ignorescrime global boundaries and ignores international borders and operates across the world.

thatwe have shown here is we are able to do that as well. >> back in barcelona, five people were taken away to join more than 100 others arrested in the simultaneous raids. this scam has not been , but it will offer reassurance to victims and severely damage the boiler room's ability to operate. >> quite the scam there. the world bank, one of the biggest providers of aid to uganda, has postponed a $19 million loan to the country following a new law imposing harsh punishments on gay men and women. homosexual acts were already illegal in uganda. those convicted could face life imprisonment. the government said the world bank's move amounted to blackmail. >> this week, uganda proclaimed to the world it will not change its anti-gay culture for anyone.

in this country, the message from the government is to hide it or feel the heavy hand of the law. the president unusually called a press conference to sign the bill into law, a very public act of defiance ignoring warnings from president obama, who called the plans morally wrong. are right behind their president. culture.t support gay it spreads disease. it is a deeply religious and conservative country. some lawyers say even media this one talking open about homosexuality could be seen as promoting it, which could carry a prison sentence of up to seven years. >> uganda's health system is heavily reliant on foreign donors. the u.k. suspended direct aid to .he country last year

the u.s. is considering whether to do the same on this bill. >> the u.s. has said that they are going to cut donations to uganda because of this bill, and that is not going to affect anyone but the poor people. >> the country's health minister says if international money disappears, uganda will cope. he also tried to reassure gay people. >> this law will not in any way oferfere with their rights all the people of the uganda, all the people in uganda, to get the due health care that they need. >> many ugandans say they have asserted their independence by not giving in to western pressure, but with other donors threatening to follow the world

ranked's example, the decision could end up costing them dearly . >> uganda's anti-gay law has a cost already, as we are seeing. you are watching "bbc world news america." still to come, security fears run high in south africa. the need to feeling arm themselves in self-defense despite the decline in violent crime. over the past few nights, and amazing light show has broken out over many parts of the united kingdom. the aurora borealis or northern lights are usually restricted to higher latitudes of the arctic circle. as duncan kennedy reports, they have moved far south. northernou think lights, you probably imagine the arctic circle, not will disclose. >> you can see the northern lights here. >> but that is where the 17-year-old astronomer has been

reviewing this stellar spectacular in the heart of the south. >> it's amazing, really. i did not think i would ever see the northern lights from my hometown. >> for several nights, this is what tom and an army of amateur astronomers have been treated to -- the aurora borealis, a stunning natural light show shooting beams of colors across the sky. but it's not just here in leafy surrey that these dazzling lights have been seen. they have been viewed right across the south in essex, gloucestershire, and wiltshire. for the first time, in many quarters of a century. >> the result of exceptional burst of charged particles currently streaming off the sun and colliding with the earth's atmosphere and water collision. but why is the south seeing them? activity, which means it sending out more matter. if you get more charged

particles, and you get them traveling further down. at much lowerthem latitudes. >> northern britain has not been left out of this glut of brightly lit particles, and this still a few more nights for everyone to witness them, but southern britain may have to wait until 2014 before it gets another glimpse of this solar showstopper. >> monday, oscar pistorius will be in a south african courtroom to face charges of killing his girlfriend. the case poses many uncomfortable questions about the number of fatal shootings in the country, especially at a time when violent crimes are said to be decreasing. from johannesburg, andrew harding reports.

>> and armed robbery in pretoria . the owner of this jewelry shop says he has been attacked so .ften he now carries a gun on this occasion, he shot and wounded two of the robbers. no person that can protect you but only yourself. they will first kill you and then rob you further. it's only yourself that can protect you. this -- southins african police say the country's crime wave is receding, but for thathere, it does not feel way. private gun ownership is one

response and a nation with some 45 murders a day. today, of course, south africa's most famous gun owner is oscar pistorius. he spoke of his own fears of violent crime at last year's bail hearing, saying that was the reason he shot his girlfriend, mistaking her for an intruder. he kept his own pistol under his bed at night. >> crime and the fear of crime are huge in south africa, but the reality is a lot depends on where you live. this is where oscar pistorius killed reeva steenkamp, but in seven years, there has only been one of the reported incident of crime, and that was for a minor theft. >> pistorius' version of events will be tested in court next week, but wider questions are already being asked about gun ownership. >> having a gun in your home to supposedly protect your family

and your loved ones from the external threat, from the stranger danger, the results show that more often the family who you are trying to protect, your loved ones, are in fact at beingf the gun either used against them or using it in something like suicide or domestic violence. >> but such arguments do not seem to count for much here. there are plenty of countries with more gun owners but very few with higher rates of violent crime. >> the red carpet has been rolled out, and the nominees are nervously awaiting the big night . yes, in just 48 hours, the oscars will indeed commence. a slave"years continued its award winning streak, or can "gravity" ravi most statues -- grabbed the most statues?

>> the dazzling visuals of ," the stark inhumanity of "12 years a slave," the power of the performances in "dallas buyers club." all are expected to be reawarded. the narrow favorite for best film -- "12 years a slave." >> i'm just incredibly proud that people are actually talking about the gnome in such a light. the fact that we are even talking about it as contenders for winning an oscar, great. it is an honor. appear do not want to too keen to win hollywood's biggest prize. hopefuls choose their words with .are having those words "oscar-winner" in front of their name can give even established that noures a boost

other award can offer, and that's what they will have in mind as they walked down the red carpet on sunday. on an have a big impact best actor winner. "dallas buyers club" actor matthew mcconaughey brushes off his front-runner status. >> getting it made is a minor miracle. is being shown on it. it is translated, communicated to the people. it has become personal with people. that is something i'm very proud of. >> terrific. aronhile director alfonso cu has won every award so far for ," if youon "gravity expect that trend to change. >> i don't think so much about it. i just take it one day at a time. it is a celebration.

i'm going to have fun, no matter what. >> still, the oscars sometimes deliver surprises and even the odd shock. on sunday, predictions will become irrelevant as millions watched across the globe to see who will take home a coveted statuette. it's not looking so glamorous behind you now. how are those preparations going for the big night? >> they are going pretty well. that has beennt months in the planning now in the last couple of days. calm -- the air is one of not quite frenzied organization here. hundreds will be covering the ceremony while the stars are there prepping their nomination and winners speeches in case they do win, but the atmosphere is one of great calm, organization, but it is getting busier by the day. >> with heavy rain forecast for

los angeles this weekend, what is the academy doing to guard against a bad hair day? i see a kind of canopy behind you. >> yes, they are quite worried about the rain. it's unusual to have this kind of weather, but as you can see behind me, the red carpet is still covered completely in a waterproof material. there are can appease all the way down. the stars will get out of their limos at the end of their carpet, they will walk down, but there will not be a chance of a drop of rain touching those hairstyles, so no worries on that account, but of course, it is a very unusual event. there's lots of uncertainty around the oscars and the uncertainty around the weather this time around. the oscars, as the adage goes, the show will go on. and it might give it a bit more atmosphere, and it gives them something else to worry about

apart from who willut who thoser winners are live here on sunday night. we will have the minute by minute coverage, and we will be live on the red carpet. a reminder of our top stories that president obama has delivered a strict warning to moscow expressing deep concern over possible military activity inside ukraine by russia. he said there will be costs for any intervention and that any violation of ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity would be deeply destabilizing. it comes as america's ambassador to the united nations called for an urgent international --iation mission to the uke the ukrainian region of crimea to de-escalate the tensions that have flared again today. that brings today's broadcast to you can continue watching for constant updates on our 24 hour news network. of course, to reach me and the entire team, go to twitter.

from all of us here at "bbc world news," thanks for watching. >> make sense of international /news.t bbc.com >> funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation, newman's own profitson, giving all to charity and pursuing the common good for over 30 years, and union bank. >> at union bank, o uerstand the industry you har operate in, working to nurture new ventures and help provide capital for key strategic

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captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: the fight for the future of ukraine escalated today, well-armed men, alleged to be russian forces, took control of two airports in crimea... president obama warned moscow not to intervene. the united states will stand with the international community in affirming there will be costs for military intervention in ukraine. >> good evening, i'm judy woodruff. also ahead good evening, i'm judy woodruff. also ahead, miles o'brien ventures deep inside one of the world's most hazardous places: japan's fukushima nuclear plant, still mired in trouble three years after its catastrophic meltdowns.